Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in China
China: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 12.0% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
12.0%
Change on year
up 5.3%
World rank
58th
of 130 countries
All-time high
19.5%
in 2010
All-time low
8.7%
in 1981
Years of data
23
1981–2022
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in China, 1981–2022
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2022, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in China stood at 12.0%.
The figure is up 5.3% on the previous year and down 33.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in China peaked at 19.5% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 8.7%, in 1981.
That places China 58th out of 130 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 8.7% | — |
| 1984 | 9.0% | +3.4% |
| 1987 | 11.2% | +24.4% |
| 1990 | 8.8% | -21.4% |
| 1993 | 9.5% | +8.0% |
| 1996 | 12.0% | +26.3% |
| 1999 | 14.0% | +16.7% |
| 2002 | 16.9% | +20.7% |
| 2005 | 16.0% | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 18.8% | +17.5% |
| 2010 | 19.5% | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 17.7% | -9.2% |
| 2012 | 18.1% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 15.1% | -16.6% |
| 2014 | 15.4% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 14.7% | -4.5% |
| 2016 | 14.4% | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 14.8% | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 14.4% | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 13.5% | -6.3% |
| 2020 | 11.7% | -13.3% |
| 2021 | 11.4% | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 12.0% | +5.3% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 12.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 14.8%, 81% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
- China's 12.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 11.3%, 1.1× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.6% | 8.7% | 11.2% | 3 |
| 1990s | 11.1% | 8.8% | 14.0% | 4 |
| 2000s | 17.2% | 16.0% | 18.8% | 3 |
| 2010s | 15.8% | 13.5% | 19.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.7% | 11.4% | 12.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near China
- 57 Croatia 12.1% compare
- 59 France 11.9% compare
- 59 Switzerland 11.9% compare
- 61 Morocco 11.7% compare
- 61 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 11.7% compare
- 61 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 11.7% compare
More infrastructure data for China
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 1.87 billion (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 131.75 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 166.51 million (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 11.73 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.1182 units per person (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -7.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 166.51 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.33 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in China?
- Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in China was 12.0% in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 19.5% in 2010.
- What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7% in 1981.
- How does China rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
- China ranks 58th out of 130 countries with data for 2022.
- Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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